Why is the number of Framingham Town Meeting candidates dwindling?

Friday

Apr 16, 2010 at 12:01 AMApr 16, 2010 at 4:15 PM

Too few names on Tuesday's election ballot for both the north and southside is shocking to some and a sign of changing times to others. Longtime Precinct 8 representative Wolf Haberman struggled when he saw there were vacancies for two three-year terms in his precinct. Not knowing who to write in to fill them, he ended up voting for only the two incumbents. “It's atypical,” Haberman said. “We've always had - until recent years - we've always had a full ballot. Years ago we used to have contests.”

Danielle Ameden

Too few candidates on Tuesday's election ballot for both the north and southside is shocking to some and a sign of changing times to others.

Longtime Precinct 8 representative Wolf Haberman struggled when he saw there were vacancies for two three-year terms in his precinct. Not knowing who to write in to fill them, he ended up voting for only the two incumbents.

“It's atypical,” Haberman said. “We've always had - until recent years - we've always had a full ballot. Years ago we used to have contests.”

Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey said it was “shocking” to see so many blank spaces for precincts that usually have no problem electing representatives.

Voters decided a five-way race for four seats in Precinct 4, but most of the other 17 precincts needed write-in candidates to get their seats filled. After the results were tallied, there were still 34 vacancies.

“To tell you why, I don't have any answers,” Town Moderator Ed Noonan said on Wednesday while he awaited the results, as write-in votes were counted.

“I think No. 1, people are busier and have other interests,” said Haberman, who has served his precinct on-and-off for 36 years. Also, he said Town Meeting somehow seems less important these days and many people feel it's time the town became a city and is governed by a council.

“That may be part of it,” he said.

The official results were tallied by late Wednesday afternoon and Assistant Town Clerk Lisa Ferguson said letters would be going out to the winners on Thursday.

Depending on whether those who were elected accept the post, Ferguson said there would still be vacancies in precincts 2, 6, 8, 9 and 12-18.

Noonan, who was re-elected Wednesday to a new one-year term as moderator, said his goal is to fill empty seats when annual Town Meeting starts May 4.

“My goal is to have 216 people come to Town Meeting,” with 12 members for each of the 18 precincts, Noonan said.

He plans to work with precinct chairpersons and recruit people who want to serve but missed the chance with the town election.

“Now we've only got three weeks,” he said.

By a majority vote of precinct members, a newcomer can be elected to a one-year term during precinct meetings at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5.

Anyone who is interested in filling an opening should talk to their precinct chairperson, who can be found through the town clerk's office, Noonan said.

While a new member could be seated this year, they would need to be elected next year to continue serving, Ferguson said.

Getting a full complement of Town Meeting members was part of Noonan's platform, he said, and he admits he could have worked harder at improving last year's number of 186 seated members.

“I plead guilty to not probably doing it as diligently as maybe I should have,” he said.
Pending newly elected members accepting their roles, Ferguson said there are openings in the following precincts:

2: one 3-year term;

6: one 3-year term, one 2-year term;

8: two 3-year terms;

9: one 3-year term, one 2-year terms, two 1-year terms;

12: two 3-year terms;

13: one 2-year term;

14: two 2-year terms, one 1-year;

15: two 3-year, two 1-year;

16: one 2-year, two 1-year;

17: one 3-year, four 2-year, two 1-year;

18: two 3-year, two 2-year, one 1-year.

Traditionally Southside precincts, especially 15-18, have been underrepresented at Town Meeting because of “a changing face there” and influx of new residents who aren't registered voters, Noonan said.

In general, Noonan agreed with Haberman that the required time commitment might be deterring people from wanting to get involved, or said another factor might be newcomers to town might not be familiar with the process.